Dales pub repairs spark hope of reopening

PUB REPAIRS: King's Head in Gunnerside pictured in 2009 before its closure.

A DALES pub which closed two years ago is set to be given a new lease of life.

Swaledale hotel owner Nick Glanvill is hoping to complete the purchase of the King's Head in Gunnerside this summer.

Mr Glanvill, who already owns Keld Lodge, hopes to renovate and reopen the pub before the end of the year.

A planning application has been submitted to the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.

If the application is approved, the roof will be repaired, new windows will be installed and a new floor, including underfloor heating, will be fitted in the bar.

A new bar will be built and electrics and plumbing will be modernised where possible.

Mr Glanvill said: "It's going to need a lot of love and a lot of money but we are really excited about the challenge."

The businessman, who worked for 35 years in the public relations industry in London before moving to the Dales, said: "Our most important customers are our locals and we will try to provide a pub for them.

"Clearly from a commercial point of view we will also need to appeal to those in holiday cottages and what have you.

"The fantastic support from residents in the village has been overwhelming - without exception they have given us their good wishes."

If the sale goes ahead as planned and the planning application is processed without delays, it is hoped the pub will reopen by September 1.

Swaledale district councillor Malcolm Gardner said he could not comment in detail on the application because he was a member of the national park planning committee.

However, he added: "As a general comment it could well be good for the vitality and sustainability of that part of the dale and the village in particular.

"One of the things that knit together the community is the village pub."

The King's Head, which dates from 1760, closed in 2009 following a dispute between owner Stuart Watson and tenant Roger Tuckett.